Mossies
by IrishFem
Make sure you skin is covered from dusk till dawn try to cover yourself around the dusk time. I know this can be hard especially if the weather is good. However the mossies come out in their millions so its a good idea to use insect repellent. I always had a newspaper handy for swatting those annoying mossies, besides its hard to sleep with them buzzing around you. If your travelling into the heat take a mossie net with you. They dont supply them in hotels. Although its a lot to take with you, if your fair skinned you need as a lot more protection. Nets can be bought in stores through out bogota.
Soccer
by acemj
Soccer is the most popular sport in Bogota, as it is in just about every city around the world. The main stadium is officially called Nemesio Camacho "El Campín" Stadium, or just El Campín for short. Two main teams play here, Millonarios and Santa Fe. Games are held mostly on Sundays.
Colombian Souvenirs
by mircaskirca about Arts and Crafts
Buying souvenirs is somehow tricky. If you look for a particular thing it's always smart to buy it in the place of its origin. You usually not get only better selection but also the price. But sometimes it's just not very handy to carry all the staff with you, especially if the trip is longer and off-track. In this case it's better to do your shopping in the city of your departure.
Bogotá has way too many arts and crafts shops, flea markets and souvenir stores where you can buy souvenirs. Some of the best and centrally located are:
Galería Artesanal de Colombia
Calle 16 No. 5-60
(in front of Museo del Oro)
Galería Artesanal Colombia Linda
Carrera 7 No. 23-49
Centro Colombiano de Artesanias
Carrera 7 No. 22-66/78
Mercado de San Alejo is probably the best flea market. It's held every Sunday between 09:00am and 05:00pm on Calle 24 with Carrera 7. You can find everything from jewellery, bags, hats, scarfs, table clothes, hammocks, basketworks, paintings and other pieces of art, musical instruments, pirate music CDs and film DVDs and many more.
I bought a nice pair of Mafaldas shoes (60.000 COP) and some typical sweets (cocada and coffee cookies). very affordable
To Bogotá from San Agustin, part 1
by MalenaN
We were three persons leaving Casa de Nelly and San Agustin for Bogotá the same morning. The guide Pacho helped us with the tickets and brought them to us the evening before. The price between San Agustin and Bogotá, with Coomotor, was 44 000 pesos (August 2007). The direct bus for Bogotá is leaving very early (5.30am) so we left Casa de Nelly by foot at 5am (it was too early to get a car). It was still dark and I was happy not to walk this dark road alone.
While it had been cold in the bus from Bogotá it became very hot in this bus as the air condition didn’t seem to work. We were stopped once at a military checkpoint were all men had to be searched. Between that and lunch we got problems with the bus, a flat tyre I think. We had to stay in the closed bus while it was fixed, or at least I thought it was being fixed, but we continued with reduced speed and went to a few garages where no one seemed to be able to give us the help we needed.
Finally we stopped for lunch (and bathroom as the toilet in the bus didn’t work). We stopped at the same road café as on the way down and once again everyone seemed to eat different kind of breads. I was very hungry and asked for chicken, but it had to be quick as the bus were not stopping for too long. I got chicken, rice, potatoes, pasta and salad for 3500 pesos. I’m glad I had proper food as we still had many hours left until we reached Bogotá.
This tip turned out to be too long so it is continuing below...
they drew us in with their fruits
by richiecdisc about El Pargo Paisa
We stumbled by Restaurante El Pargo Paisa innocently enough. We were back in South America and my wife can usually only think of one thing when that is the case: fruit. In any shape or form, she loves the stuff and I must admit when in South America so do I. It's cheap and of very high quality. One of the best ways to enjoy it is in a bebida or fruit shake made with water or milk. Both are good and depending on your chosen fruit, one can be better than the other. Try as many combinations as you can squeeze in, you won't be disappointed! Look for the name fruiteria to find the most variety. El Pargo drew us in with such an advert though it was not truly such a specialist but more a jack of all trades. The open front of the place is quite inviting and on this very busy street, it's a great place to people watch. We set near the front for such purposes but far enough back to avoid beggars looking for a handout. Doreen said her guanabanan shake was just okay. I opted for my very first Club Colombiana, the country's noted top quality mass produced beer. I found it quite refreshing on this hot sunny afternoon though it did not bode well for the rest of Colombian's commonly available beers since it was not an overly tasty one. Though a fairly malty beer it lacked the hops necessary to make it a more balanced beer. The two beverages came to 5000 COP or $2.50.
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the odd chantaduro must be an acquired taste
despite the paper cups, not a bad place for java
Plaza de Bolívar at Christmas time
Oma
